Charging Julian Assange with espionage is a greater threat to democracy than January 6

My latest at The Week, “Today the Pentagon Papers are hailed by many as an example of how a free press and people function. Yet Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), a leading Jan. 6 committee member who has positioned herself as a defender of democracy against former President Donald Trump and his supporters, wanted Iceland's government to shut down Wikileaks. ‘I would like to see them move aggressively to prosecute Mr. Assange,’ Cheney said in 2010, adding, ‘what he's done is very clearly aiding and abetting al Qaeda.’ She's far from the only leader on the Jan. 6 committee who feels this way.

"If Assange were found guilty of espionage for his actions, there is good reason to fear it would have a chilling effect on America's free press and do irreparable harm to our democracy," @jackhunter74 writes.https://t.co/ZtAxgzIZgZ

— The Week (@TheWeek) December 19, 2021

A free press is the cornerstone of any democratic society. Some will continue to argue whether the problematic Assange is actually a journalist, just as some now debate whether the Jan. 6 attack represents something greater than just the chaos of that day. But if Assange were found guilty of espionage for his actions, there is good reason to fear it would have a chilling effect on America's free press and do irreparable harm to our democracy.”

Read the entire column.